bacon



A ril 26, 1932. c. F. BACON 1,855,465.

BOTTLE CAPPING MACHINE Filed Jan 23, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 $3313 flame/13' Way Mow Fatentecl Apr. 26, 1932 {warren STATES Parser orrlcs CHARLES F. BACON, OF BRATTLEBORO, VERMONT, ASSIGNOR TO MILLERS FALLS COM ."EANY, O'FE'EILLERS FALLS, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS BOTTLE CAPPING- MACHINE Application filed January 23, 1929. Serial No. 334,381.

This invention relates to machines for capping bottles, and, more particularly, to machines of the individual hand-operated type for use in connection with the application of crimped metal caps to bottles which hold their contents under pressure.

An object of therinvention is to provide a device of the type described which is simple and sturdy in construction, and which will is operate efiiciently and with freedom from mechanical difficulty.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine which is readily adjustable for i the application of caps to bottles of varying 15 height and which is provided with means for returning the parts to normal position after the capping operation.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear herein- 20 after.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter 25 set forth, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention reference should be had to the following detailed description so taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view, partly 5 broken away, of the form shown in Fig. 1,

viewed from the left side;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, viewed from the opposite side;

Fig. l is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing an another embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the embodiment shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a detail View, partly broken away, showing the cap-holding and -a1'iixing cup;

is and Fig. 7 is a detailed view of one form of means for retaining the cap in the cup.

By more detailed reference to the drawings it will be seen that the device comprises a 59 standard 10 having a base 11, which is conveniently provided with screw holes or the like 12 by which it may be connected to a bench, and with a padded bottle seat 13 upon which the bottle is placed, as is shown in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2.

Adjustably disposed along the standard 10 is a capping mechanism 1a which, inthe form shown in Fig. 1, includes a split clamping member 15 which is held in adjusted position on the standard by a binder screw 16 and has a forked end 17 projecting above the bottle seat 13. Slidably disposed in said forked end 17, and actuated by a gear wheel 18 disposed between'the legs thereof, is a reciprocable capping head 19 which has a rack 20 cooperating with the gear wheel 18, and haseyeportions 21 and 22 engaging the standard 10 above and below the clamping member 15.

This capping head carries at its lower side a cap-holding and affixing cup 23, and for purposes of rigidity has a brace-member 24 substantially paralleling the rack 20 and connecting the eye-portions 21 and 22, passing just rearwardly of the gear wheel 18.

The gear wheel 18 is disposed on, and is rotated by, a shaft 32, which passes through the forked end 17 of the member 15, and has its outer end connected to an operating handle 25. As will be readily understood, operation of the handle 25 in a clockwise direction (Fig. 2) will force the capping head 19 downwardly, carrying the cup 23 down over the mouth of the bottle and clamping the cap thereon. In order to facilitate the return movement of the capping head 19, a coil spring 26 is conveniently disposed between the eye-portion 21 and the top of the clamping member 15, said spring being compressed on the downward movement of the capping head 19 and acting by expansion to raise it again to inop erative position.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 4: and 5, the cap-holding and -affixing cup 23 is mounted on a rack screw 27, which slides within a sleeve 28 formed by the outer end of the horizontal clamping member 15'. This member 15', which is clamped to the standard in adjusted position by a binder screw 16, also forms a housing for a gear wheel 18 and mates with the rack screw 27. The rack screw 27 is provided with a head 27 which prevents it from becoming accidentally displaced from the sleeve 28, and between this head and the top of the sleeve 28 is conveniently positioned a spring 26, which spring and the other parts of this em bodiment function in a manner entirely silnilar to that above described.

The cap-holding cup 23 may be convenient- 1y attached to the reciprocating head 19 by a screw-thread connection 29 which, as is shown particularly in Fig. 7, may be used to secure the spring tongues 30 which serve to retain the cap in the recess 31 of the cup 28. Another suitable means of retaining the metal cap in the cup is shown in Fig. 6, in which the cap 23 is magnetized. In both embodiments shown the horizontal clamping member 15 and the standard 10 are provided with a cooperating tongue-and-groove connection 33,

to insure ro er ali nment of the arts.

It will be seen that in accordance with the present invention there has been provided a device which will efliciently apply crimped metal caps to bottles of varying height and which can be operated with ease and speed.

Since certain changes may be made in the above construction, and different embodiments of the invention could be made, without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which as a matter of language might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A machine for affixing metallic caps to bottles, comprising, in combination, a bottle support, a standard, a horizontally disposed clamping member adjustable on said standard and having a forked end projecting over said bottle support, a gear disposed between the legs of said forked end and spaced from said standard, a reciprocable capping head having spaced eye-members, one positioned above and one below said horizontally disposed clamping member and slidable on said standard, and an arm connected with said eye-members and substantially in alignment with said bottle support, said arm being provided with a rack cooperating with said gear, and a coiled spring surrounding said standard and operating between the upper eyemember and the horizontally disposed clamping member to return said capping head to inoperative position; said capping head also being provided with a bracing member connecting said eye-members and passing between the legs of said forked end and between said gear and said standard.

2. A machine for afiixing metallic caps to bottles, comprising, in combination, a bottle support, astandard, a horizontally disposed clamping member adjustable on said standard and having'a forked end projecting over said bottle support, a gear disposed between the legs of said forked end and spaced from said standard, and a reciprocable capping head having spaced eye-members, one positioned above and one below said horizontally disposed clamping member and slidable on said standard, and an arm connected with said eye-members and substantially in alignment with said bottle support, said arm bein provided with a rack cooperating with said gear, said capping head also being provided with a bracing member connecting said eyemembers and passing between the legs of said forked end and between said gear and said standard. 7

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CHARLES F. BACON. 

